The inventive concept relates to a wafer dicing press and method and a semiconductor wafer dicing system including the same. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to a wafer dicing press and method for reducing the time and cost associated with wafer dicing. Additionally, the inventive concept relates to ensuring that all devices within a wafer are successfully separated from one another without damaging the devices.
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, a plurality of semiconductor device regions are typically formed on a single wafer, with the device regions separated by inactive areas referred to as “scribe lanes.” Individual devices are formed by separating the device regions along the scribe lanes. Although an individual scribe lane occupies a relatively small area, cumulatively, over an entire wafer, scribe lanes can significantly reduce the wafer area available for the formation of active devices. In order to maximize wafer yield, manufacturers have sought to reduce the area dedicated to scribe lanes. Conventionally, wafers were diced using saws having diamond or carbide tips that scribed frangible lines within the scribe lanes. Once the frangible lines were formed, the wafer was split along the frangible lines, thereby forming individual devices. As scribe lanes have been narrowed in order to allow for more devices to be formed on a wafer, the process margin for dicing has been reduced. More recently, the use of laser scribing has been introduced in order to further diminish the width of scribe lanes (and, concomitantly, increase wafers' yields). However, the very fine tolerances, thin wafers, and narrow scribe lanes of today's wafers make it difficult to separate devices (that is, to “dice” devices) without damaging them, leaving some devices joined, or introducing unwanted contaminants.